General election 2024: Sunak and Starmer start 6-week campaign trail
Today’s biggest trending story is on the general election, announced yesterday, the snap election will take place in just six weeks. It means both Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer yesterday hit the campaign trail.
Regardless of political leanings, many of yesterday’s newspapers and political commentators agreed that the prime minister’s snap July election was a ‘gamble’. The papers, the experts, and inside sources all concluded choosing an election just 6 weeks away didn’t seem like a great course of action for a party that’s 20 points behind in the opinion polls. Many also slammed the prime minister’s decision to give the announcement outside in the rain with protesters blasting music over the prime minister – not great optics for the government.
However, the date is now set and the papers have firmly put their foot in their camps. Yesterday marked day one of the election campaigning – here’s how the media reacted.
What is a general election and when is it taking place?
A general election is held to elect Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons. The UK is divided into 650 areas, called constituencies, and each elects one MP to represent local residents. Most candidates are from political parties, but some are independents.
A general election will take place on 4 July 2024.
How does voting work?
In a general election, each person has one vote. On election day, registered voters in each constituency vote for their preferred candidate at their local polling station. Some people vote by post in advance. The election uses a system called “first past the post,” where the candidate with the most votes in each constituency becomes the MP for that area.
Photo ID Requirement
Since May 2023, voters must show a valid form of photo ID at polling stations to vote in person. There are 22 acceptable forms of ID, including:
– Passports
– Driving licenses
– Older or Disabled Person’s bus passes
– Oyster 60+ cards
You can use expired photo ID if you still resemble the photo. If you don’t have the correct ID or no longer look like your photo, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate.
How the media has reacted to the news
For the next six weeks, the news will be dominated by the UK general election with every side desperately trying to pick up support across the country. The newspapers, media, and commentators have picked their sides – have a look at what they’re reporting.
